Taking Chances
by Jackie-Chaos-Bunny
Summary: Miguel Dorado has always been told to "keep it safe". But when he sees the detention kids at his school heading off on another field trip one day, he decides to follow them. It's on this field trip that he learns that sometimes the most amazing things in life come from taking a few risks
1. Miguel's Decision and The Bet

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it**

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><p>It was a typical early November afternoon at Metro Academy. It was after school hours, and a good majority of the teachers remained at their desks to grade their students' papers for that day. Most of the students had already gone home, most likely to either do their homework or gorge themselves on their leftover Halloween candy until they were sick of it. This wasn't the case for the few kids who were stuck in detention, and one other boy who was staying after school of his own accord.<p>

Miguel Dorado's honey-golden eyes stared intensely at the stark white flash cards in his hands, trying his hardest to memorize each fact on them. He had decided to stay after school that day to cram in a little extra studying for the big History test that was coming up the next day. If he didn't score _at least_ a B, then he could say goodbye to TV, computer, and video game privileges for the next **month**. His father had always been a bit... strict, when it came to his grades, but it had only gotten worse as he got older. Being part of one of the more high-society families in the city, there were... _appearances_ that had to be kept up. Just the thought of it gave Miguel a headache. Taking a brief break from the study session, he quickly ran a hand through his pitch black hair with red-and-orange-dyed bangs, and reached into his backpack to pull out some leftover Halloween candy he had snuck in that morning to snack on later, but in the process of pulling it out, his wallet had come loose from one of the inside pockets and fell to the floor. Groaning, Miguel reached down and picked up his wallet, and them proceeded to open it to look at the picture he kept inside. A small smile crept across his face at the at the sight of the photo.

It was of him on his 5th birthday, being held close, and tickled, by a lovely young woman, with near-porcelain white skin that matched his own (despite the Mexican heritage he got from his father). Her sandy brown hair cascaded in waves past her shoulders, and her hazel eyes sparkled with joy at the sound of her son's laughter, her brilliant smile mirroring his.

This was the last picture he had taken with his mother before... _the accident_.

It was almost 7 years ago to the day that tragedy struck the Dorado family, and took a beloved wife and mother away in a hellish blaze. A freak electrical fire had broken out in the Dorado home, and the entire house went up in flames almost instantly. Miguel's father, Santos, had a broken leg at the time from a sports accident a month earlier, which made it very difficult for him to reach Miguel's room upstairs. So Miguel's mother, Emily, sprinted up to her son's room while Santos was led outside by the firefighters who just arrived on the scene. Despite the smoke and flames, Emily somehow managed to reach her coughing and terrified, but thankfully still conscious, son and signaled the firemen to their location. As a fireman frantically climbed the ladder to reach the upstairs bedroom window, Emily could hear creaking and groaning due to the ceiling support beams above them weakening due to the blaze, and large flames were now blocking the doorway to the room. In a last effort to save her only child, she managed to safefully pass Miguel to the fireman who was just about halfway up the ladder. The terrified 5-year-old shook and buried his face into the fireman's neck as he was held close to his chest with one arm, the other gripping the ladder to support the both of them. And just as Emily was about to climb out the window herself, the support beams of the ceiling gave way, sending it all crashing down on top of her. Even though Miguel had not seen what happened, his blood still ran cold and tears streamed down his face as the sirens of the ambulance and firetrucks, along with the firemen yelling and his father's anguished screams, rang out in the night.

It took many years of therapy before Miguel could even _look_ at a flame without going into a panic attack. He may not be deathly afraid of fire anymore, but he still hates it.

Ever since that horrid night, his father had become more protective of him than ever. Other than school, he was barely, if not never allowed out of his father's sight. He never got to do what _he_ wanted. It was always his father's way. The "safe way", as he put it.

The sound of several pairs of sneakers squeaking along the hallway suddenly pulled Miguel out of his dark memories. Curious, he stood up and peeked out the door to see who it was. It was the group of detention kids, heading down the hall to the lobby, and upon further inspection, he noticed a lone bus was parked in front of the school. He then remembered that every now and again, those who got detention got to go on some kind of field trip after school, probably to try to teach them a lesson to "better themselves". It never worked, though. Despite that, he had always been curious to see where those field trips go to.

He should have just ignored it. He should have just sat back down at that desk, gone back to studying for a bit longer, then rode his bike home. That would've been the _safe_ thing to do. What his father would've wanted him to do. Any other day, he would have. But not today.

With a sudden burst of rebellion, and against his better judgement, Miguel grabbed his notes and wallet, stuffed them into his backpack, and took off after the detention kids.

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><p>By the time he caught with them, the last kid, a brown-haired boy by the name of Sanjay, was about to climb onto the bus. Miguel quietly boarded the bus right after him, met with a bored expression from the bus driver, and several confused looks from the other detention kids as soon as they noticed him. Sanjay and his blonde friend Joao did a brief double take upon seeing him, the latter of the two stopping in mid-chew of whatever Halloween candy he'd been munching on. Jane curiously raised an eyebrow at him, the pink roller-skates she practically lived in causing her feet to slightly roll back and forth on the floor. They were usually the Chinese-American girl's cause of being sent to detention, as she was too stubborn to take them off. Miguel then barely dodged a spitball shot at him by the goth boy with shaggy, dark purple hair that covered his eyes. The only one who showed a more optimistic reaction to him was the youngest member of the group, 7-year-old Sasha. The little Russian-American girl, hugging her favorite doll close to her, simply grinned, showing a cute little gap where a front tooth used to be, and waved at him, her blond curls slightly bouncing as she did so. How a sweet, adorable little girl like her always wound up in detention was a mystery to him. Despite his nervousness at the situation, he smiled and waved back at her. He silently begged whatever holy deity was listening that the other kids wouldn't say anything and result in him getting kicked off the bus before this little adventure of his even had the chance to start. Then, a voice answered his prayers.<p>

"Hey, Miguel! Back here, man!"

His sight following the voice to the back of the bus, he smiled with relief when he saw his best friend, Jerome Fiyero, grinning at him, braces shining, and motioning to his seat, signaling that Miguel could sit with him. Miguel made a beeline for the back seat, and sat next to the middleweight African-American, shortly before the bus took off. Jerome and Miguel had been friends since first grade, and they always had each other's back, no matter what. And despite looking like he could be the next big rapper if he tried, the hip-hop music industry was the last thing on Jerome's mind when it came to an occupation. What he really wanted to be was an author. One would usually find him scribbling down a short story in a notebook he carried with him everywhere. In fact, that was what he was doing at that very moment as he looked at Miguel, his chestnut brown eyes holding a questioning look.

"Why are you even on this bus, Miguel?" he whispered, so the bus driver couldn't hear. "You weren't in detention today. Heck, you're _never_ in detention!"

"I know", Miguel replied, smiling sheepishly. "It's just... I've seen the detention kids go on these field trips, always wondering where that bus goes to, and... I just couldn't help myself. I was curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know", another voice said coolly. Miguel looked up at the voice, and his heart nearly jumped into his throat when his honey-golden eyes met the vivid, almost toxic green that were staring intensely at him. The owner of those eyes, leaning over the back of the seat in front of them, with a sly smirk on her face, was Xenon Penumbra.

Xenon Penumbra was a mischievous and mysterious girl, not to mention one of the most notorious pranksters in Metro Academy. But unlike most of her fellow troublemakers, she had a specific target for her tricks and pranks. Bullies and Mean Girls, to be precise. If she feels you've wronged somebody who didn't deserve it, expect to suffer her unique form of justice. This had happened so often, that she had been dubbed "Karma", by a good majority of the student body. But her life outside of school is surrounded in rumor and mystery, as far as her fellow students were concerned. Some say she's a witch who can disappear into the shadows themselves. Others say that they've seen her hanging out in the old graveyard, talking to either herself, or someone that isn't there. Only one person knows the _real_ Xenon Penumbra, and that someone was sitting right next to Miguel.

Xenon was also Jerome's cousin on his mother's side, but they hardly looked related at all. While Jerome's skin resembled dark chocolate, hers was more along the lines of mocha. His hair, thick and curly. Her hair, straight as a pin. And while his face and eyes were round and friendly, hers were thin and angular. To put it bluntly, they couldn't have been more different, but that didn't mean they didn't care about one another. They were family, after all.

"Xenon, stop doing that!" Jerome said in a mock scolding tone. "You're gonna give someone a heart attack one of these days!"

Xenon only chuckled in response. "Yes, Dad", she replied with a smirk, sarcastically rolling her eyes.

Meanwhile, Miguel's stomach was doing acrobatic flips, and his face felt incredibly hot from that brief, but intense moment when Xenon's eyes bore into his, almost as if she were reading his soul like a book. It's how he always felt during those rare moments that his gaze met hers. Despite her trouble-making streak and mysterious background, there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't go through his mind at least once. There were plenty of other girls in Metro Academy, but she was the only one that made him feel like he could just melt at her very touch. He would never be brave enough to say it out loud, let alone to her face, but Miguel had fallen good and hard for Xenon.

"So, you finally developed that rebellious streak, huh?" another female voice asked jokingly, pulling Miguel out of his thoughts. He looked up again to see the young Japanese-American girl with short, messy black hair with the tips of her bangs dyed purple, who was sitting next to Xenon now looking at him with amusement on her face. He smirked back at her, his stomach finally settling and his blush fading.

"Yeah. It was only a matter of time, right Ivy?"

Taiko "Ivy" Tomago was Xenon's best friend and partner in crime. When one was pulling a prank, the other was never too far behind. Although, Ivy's ideas of pranks were a bit more... "down and dirty" than Xenon's. Heck, once she filled a bucket with the most disgusting things she could find, and hung it over the door to the principal's office! It was a miracle she wasn't suspended, let alone _expelled_, after that little stunt.

"So, Ivy, what are you in for this time?" Miguel asked.

"Let me guess", Jerome intersected with a smirk. "You got into a fight with Goth Kid. _Again_."

Ivy's face turned pink in embarrassment. Luka Ramirez, or "Goth Kid" as everyone else called him, was the purple-haired boy who had shot a spitball at Miguel earlier, and was also Ivy's pranking rival and crush, although she would never admit to the latter. They were constantly at each other's throats, which would usually end up with both of them in detention, bloodied and bruised.

"So that's why you had a bloody nose earlier!" Xenon exclaimed. "Man, he must've gotten you good!"

"Yeah, but I got him right back!" Ivy boasted. "Pretty sure I nearly broke his nose."

Miguel shook his head as Jerome and Xenon laughed in response. He then decided to ask the question that had been nagging him since he boarded the bus.

"So, do any of you guys know where this field trip is headed?"

Jerome and Ivy shook their heads, and Xenon had an annoyed look on her face.

"Don't know, and frankly, don't care", she replied. "Besides, it's just going to be as boring as all the others. Right, guys?" Sanjay, Joao, Jane and Goth Kid grumbled in agreement. Sasha just watched the conversation with curiosity.

"You don't know that for sure", Miguel replied. "Who knows? This one could be different."

Xenon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious!" Miguel said. "In fact, I'm willing to _bet_ on it!"

Xenon almost immediately perked up at this, the spark in her eyes almost visible. She could never resist a good wager, especially when the odds were in _her_ favor. "Is that so~?"

"Well... yeah."

A sly smirk crept across Xenon's face, similar to a snake that just cornered its prey. "Alright. But remember, every wager has its stakes. If I win, and this trip is as boring as all the rest, you have to my homework for the next 2 weeks."

Miguel gulped in apprehension, but put on a brave face. "Okay. But if I win, and something interesting actually does happen... we hang out this Friday. Just you and me."

Xenon eyebrows raised in surprise, while Jerome and Ivy, along with the other kids who were now listening in on the duo's little bet, went slack-jawed at Miguel's sudden boldness.

"Miguel", Xenon started with a smile after a few moments. "Are you... asking me out?"

Miguel's face flushed so red with embarrassment that it nearly matched with the red sweater vest of his school uniform.

"N-No!" he stammered. "I mean, i-it doesn't have to be a d-date if you don't want it to be! But if y-you do want it to be, that's p-perfectly fine! I'm willing to g-go with whichever you-" his ranting was silenced by Xenon placing a finger over his mouth, which made his eyes widen and his already deep blush intensify tenfold. She couldn't help but snicker at his red-faced, deer-in-the-headlights expression.

"You know, you're kinda cute when you're nervous", she told him with a smirk. She then removed her finger from his mouth, and held out her hand for him to shake. "You've got yourself a deal, Golden Boy."

Their small audience held their breaths as they waited for what would happen next. Miguel's blush slowly faded as he hesitantly shook her hand. The bet was on.


	2. The Museum

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it**

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><p>It didn't take too long for the bus to come to a screeching halt in front of their destination. Miguel looked out the window and smiled when he saw that it was the local museum. His parents used to take him there all the time when he was little! He was always so fascinated by all the different types of art and ancient artifacts. He then noticed the tour guide out front, who was most likely waiting for them, not to mention looked rather nervous. He couldn't blame the poor guy, especially after he was hit smack-dab in the forehead by a spitball.<p>

"Bull's-eye!" Goth Kid cheered. Miguel rolled his eyes as he, Jerome, Ivy, Xenon and the other kids climbed off the bus one-by-one.

"Hi, super old guy!" he heard Sasha joyfully exclaim to the tour guide.

"A museum? Again?" Sanjay groaned.

"Ugh, I hate stuff," Goth Kid grumbled.

"Oh, boy", the tour guide murmured as he hid behind his 'Tour Guide' sign. Xenon snickered at this.

"Better get ready to do 2 weeks' worth of my homework, Golden Boy", she whispered to Miguel with a wink. He frowned in reply.

"The trip hasn't even started. Don't go claiming victory yet."

"It's okay, Thomas," a new voice said, gaining their attention. They both looked up to see another tour guide, a young woman, descending the front stairs. She had long red hair that went down to her waist, and eyes as clear and blue as the sky. Upon looking closer at her name tag, Miguel could see that her name was Mary Beth. She eyed the group with a mischievous smile. "I'll take them."

"Uh, are you sure?" the male tour guide, Thomas, Miguel presumed, asked her. He then leaned closer to her and whispered something that Miguel couldn't quite make out, only to get hit in the face once again by another spitball shot by Goth Kid.

"WHOO HOO!" Goth Kid yelled, as the other kids, sans Miguel and Xenon, laughed.

"Don't worry, I can handle them", Mary Beth told Thomas with a smile. "You go take your break."

"Thanks!" he whispered to her gratefully as he headed back into the museum.

Sanjay then shot three spitballs at their new tour guide, who then, to everyone's amazement, blocked every single one with her 'Tour Guide' sign with the skill of a ninja. She then spun the sign around, showing that it said 'Follow Me' on the back.

"Follow me, kids", she said with a confident smile.

"Huh?" the kids all said in unison. Miguel and Xenon looked at each other with wide eyes. Miguel then smirked.

"Still wanna claim victory?" he asked her.

"Okay, I'll give this a chance", she begrudgingly said as she rolled her eyes.

The group then reluctantly proceeded to follow the mysterious woman up the stairs toward the large museum doors, but then became confused as she turned them away from the entry.

"Yo, lady! The museum door's that way!" Sanjay called after her.

"Yes it is", Mary Beth told him. "But you aren't like the other kids. Oh, no, no, no. You need to see something _special_."

Sasha giggled with excitement walked closer to where Mary Beth was standing.

"Right through that door", Mary Beth told them, as she motioned to the wall behind her.

"Huh?" the kids all muttered, as they stared at the blank wall in confusion.

"You're seein' things, Lady", Jane stated.

"Am I?" Mary Beth asked her with a smirk. "Or are you _not_ seeing things?" She stepped backward and seemed to slide in between the bricks of the wall.

"Whoa!" the kids all exclaimed in amazement.

"Come on", Mary Beth told them as she walked further in. They all eagerly followed, and were amazed to find that what had looked like a flat brick wall a few moments ago, was actually an arching doorway, almost shaped like a skull. Miguel couldn't help but smile as he noticed Xenon's eyes light up with interest. He was beginning to be glad that he snuck onto that bus.

* * *

><p>They walked down a long, narrow, dark, and dusty hallway. With what little light there was, provided by the flashlight Mary Beth was holding, Miguel could barely make out various old clay pots, bowls, and vases, all with intricate Aztec designs painted on them.<p>

"Now, today is November 2nd. Does anyone here know why that date is important?" he heard Mary Beth ask them all.

"Taco Tuesday!" Sasha cheered.

"No", Mary Beth replied with a giggle.

"'Gorge yourself on Halloween Candy' day?" Jane guessed. As if to emphasize her point, a small red jawbreaker fell out of Joao's mouth, which was already stuffed with various types of candy.

"Nope." said Mary Beth.

"Xenon and Miguel's birthdays?" Jerome asked as he came up behind the two kids in question, wrapping an arm around each of them, causing them both to jump. Their eyes both widened as his words sank in. They looked at each other.

"It's your birthday?" they asked each other in unison.

"Well, no, but Happy Birthday, you two!" Mary Beth told them with a smile.

"Thank you", Miguel said as Jerome released his hug on him and Xenon.

"Yeah, thanks", Xenon replied as well. She then leaned over and whispered to Miguel, "How old are you?"

"I just turned 12 today", he whispered in reply. "You?"

"The same", she answered.

Miguel then smiled and raised his hand, getting Mary Beth's attention. "Um, I know why today's important."

"You do?" Mary Beth asked with a smile. He nodded in reply.

"Today is _el Dia de Los Muertos_", he replied, but then froze when he realized he heard a second voice say the exact same thing exactly when he did. He looked over, and blushed when he realized that second voice belonged to Xenon, who was now looking at him, eyes wide. It might have been the little amount of light playing tricks on his eyes, but he could've sworn that she was blushing, as well. After a moment, they finally broke their gaze from each other as Miguel cleared his throat.

"The... Day of the Dead", he finished as his blush faded.

Unbeknownst to him, though, Xenon was still blushing. Ivy, who had noticed, simply smirked and shot her best friend a knowing wink, which earned her a scowl in reply.

"That's right", Mary Beth said, breaking the awkward tension and gaining back everyone's attention. "Today is _el Dia de Los Muertos_, otherwise known as The Day of the Dead."

"Wait, is that like National Zombie Day, or something?" Goth Kid asked, as he held his arms outward, imitating a zombie walk. This earned a laugh from all the kids, breaking whatever tension had been left.

The fun moment was broken, however, when an old security guard suddenly sprang out in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere. He was thin and short, and despite being hunched over, was still just barely taller than the kids. He had maroon eyes, and a short white beard with a matching mustache that slightly curled upward, kinda like those old-fashioned cartoon villains that you'd see tying a woman to a railroad track. The kids, sans Sasha and Xenon, jumped and gave a startled scream at his sudden appearance. Mary Beth simply raised an eyebrow at him, clearly unimpressed.

"You can't go this way!" the old security guard yelled at the kids. He then shot a nervous look towards Mary Beth, and added in a more hushed tone, "You will get us both in trouble! Ancient rules of the, uh... the museum! The administration..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Mary Beth smiled at him and gently stroked his face. And with that, the old man was putty in her hands. He sighed.

"Well, I suppose I could turn a blind eye, my-" he briefly froze as Mary Beth gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "...dear." Blushing, he let the kids pass, but Sasha was still standing there, staring at him was a cute smile. He then shined his flashlight under his face and gave her a scary look, chuckling as she screamed and ran to catch up with the others.

Mary Beth rolled her eyes at the security guard's antics as the group finally reached the end of the hall and entered a large space. She then walked over to a nearby light switch.

"Behold, children", she said as she switched on the lights. "The glorious beauty of Mexico!"

The kids all flinched at the sudden brightness. But once their eyes all adjusted, their jaws nearly touched the floor as they gasped at what they saw. The large room was tightly packed with colorful displays of Mexican folk art. The art lined the walls and reached all the way up to the ceiling with paper flags, flowers and skeleton floats. There were Mayan and Aztec sculptures, huge paper-mâché monsters and skeletons, sombreros of all shapes and sizes, woodcarvings, and colorful paintings.

"Whoa..." Goth Kid murmured as he walked past a large paper-mâché snake head.

"This place is _loco_", Jane stated as did a small twirl on her skates to look around the room.

"Yeah, in the GOOD way!" Ivy exclaimed with a big smile. Both Xenon and Miguel couldn't help but agree.

"So many skulls!" Sanjay said, as he and Jane stopped in front of a large stone wall with hundreds of skulls carved into it, each one painted in bright, vibrant, colors that had somewhat faded over the many years.

"At least that part isn't lame", Goth Kid remarked. He wasn't going to be fooled into actually liking a museum just yet.

"Whoaaaa." Sasha's voice caught everyone's attention as they all looked to see her at the top of a small staircase at the end of the room. They all climbed the small staircase and looked up to see what had caught the young girl's eye. It was a giant mural of a Mexican Tree of Life. And at the bottom of the painting, on a carved pedestal surrounded by several marigolds, was a large ornate book.

"What is this book?" Sasha asked.

"That is the Book of Life!" Mary Beth told her with a smile.

"That's gotta be the biggest, most beautiful book I've ever seen!" Jerome gushed.

"'Big' is right!" Xenon agreed. "That book's almost as big as I am!"

"All the world is made of stories, and all of those stories are right here." Mary Beth opened the large book so the kids could see. "This book holds many truths." She flipped to a page entitled _Cinco de Mayo_ On it was a picture of a large muscular man with a sweeping mustache letting out a huge battle cry as he waved a tattered Mexican flag and wielded a large sword. "Some are actually true!"

"The Battle of _Cinco de_ Mayo?" Sasha asked.

"Mayo!" Goth Kid exclaimed. "I love mayo!"

The kids all laughed.

Mary Beth smiled at them. "And some, not so much." She then flipped to another page titled _Chupacabras_. This page showed an illustration of a small monster eating an entire goat in a single bite, then spitting out a perfect skeleton.

"_El chupacabra_! The legendary goat sucker!" Goth Kid exclaimed. "I have to get one."

Mary Beth quickly flipped through the pages until she finally reached illustrations that showed the universe and the earth. "Although you may doubt some of these stories, there is one thing we know for certain: Mexico is the center of the universe." She then turned the page to show an ancient map of Mexico, and pointed at the center of the map, showing an illustration of a little island city. " And long ago, in the center of Mexico, was the quaint little town of San Angel."

The kids all looked at the illustration with wonder, and Miguel couldn't help but notice that when you looked at the island from a bird's eye view, it took on the shape of a guitar.

"Naturally, since San Angel was the center of the universe", Mary Beth continued. "Directly below it lay..." she paused as she turned the page to reveal a large colorful illustration depicting one of the biggest _fiestas_ that the kids had ever seen! There were hundreds, maybe thousands of people partying and dancing, and all around just having fun! But there was one big difference: all these people were skeletons. "The Land of the Remembered! A festive and magical place for those who live on in the memories of their loved ones."

The kids all smiled. This place sounded amazing!

Mary Beth then frowned as the memories turned dark. "And below that, lies the Land of the Forgotten. The sad and lonely destination for those poor souls who are no longer remembered." The book then showed an illustration of a gray, desolate wasteland, snowing ash. The illustration also showed a sad black skeleton fading to dust.

The kids couldn't help but feel sad at this.

"But, before I can properly begin our story", she continued, changing the subject. "You need to meet the two magical rulers of these realms." She looked up towards the mural. The kids followed her gaze to see an image of a woman with a beautifully painted face and long wavy black hair that went all the way down to her ankles. She was clad in a long red dress and huge matching sombrero, both trimmed with marigolds and candles. She was surrounded by all kinds of skeletal animals that looked up at her in adoration.

"Who is that?" Sasha asked, eyes wide with curiosity and wonder.

"That is La Muerte", Mary Beth explained. "She is made out of sweet sugar candy."

"She's so pretty", Goth Kid muttered, a lovesick expression on his face. Ivy lightly scoffed at this, her cheeks going pink with minor jealousy.

"'Pretty'?" Miguel repeated incredulously. "She's _beautiful_!"

"She is, isn't she?" Mary Beth replied with a smile. "She loves all mankind, and believes that their hearts are pure and true."

While Xenon could agree that La Muerte was very beautiful, she found her attention being caught by another picture on the mural. This image sat parallel to the image of La Muerte, and unlike all the other images, this one was painted in all shades of grey and black, with a few minor exceptions. It showed a black, skeletal man with a white mustache and beard, sitting on a stony throne with a sharp-toothed scowl on his face. He wore a _conquistador's_ armor, black, inky robes and long black gloves with teal flames on them. His tall, spiky silver crown had strange, teal-and-black-striped antlers with small, stone skulls hanging from them. Also, a long purple snake was slithering next to him, but this snake had a head on each end of it. But the two things about him that stuck out the most to her, were his large black and ragged angel wings, that looked like they had experienced many years of battles and fire, and his toxic, almost hypnotizing green eyes, which had bright red skulls for irises that seemed to stare into her very soul. She almost couldn't look away from it. She finally cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "Um, excuse me?"

"Yes?" Mary Beth asked.

"Who, pray tell, is Mister 'Tall, Dark, and Intimidating', here?" Xenon inquired as she pointed toward the dark image in the mural. When they all followed Xenon's line of sight, the other kids got chills down their spines at the sight of the dark figure. Mary Beth, however, simply smiled as she looked at the image, then back at her.

"I was actually just about to get to him", she explained. She then looked back up at the image with a smirk on her face. "That is Xibalba. That charming rascal thinks that mankind is not so pure, just like him."

"He looks spooky", Sasha stated.

"Yes", Mary Beth told her. "He's made of tar and everything icky in the whole world."

"He's so pretty..." Goth Kid muttered. The other kids looked at him awkwardly and started giggling.

"Uh, what about the weirdo with the beard-o?" Jane asked as she looked at another image at the very center of the mural. This large being was a bright golden-yellow in color, and had a big, friendly smile on his face. There were various, Aztec tattoo-like markings on his arms, which were spread out wide. He also had a long, fluffy white beard, and was wearing a necklace and bracelets that seemed to be made of stone.

"Well, that is the Candle Maker", Mary Beth explained with a chuckle. "He keeps everything in balance. He is made out wax, and has a beard full of clouds."

"Clouds?" Jane and Goth Kid asked in unison.

"Alright, let me show you something else", Mary Beth told them as she opened a small wooden chest that sat next to the Book of Life. Inside the chest were intricately carved wooden figures. "See, all these wooden figures here, they represent real people in our story, just like you and me."

"Whoa!" The kids were now interested and wanted to hear more.

"And so our tale begins", she said. "On the day the people of Mexico call, The Day of the Dead!"


	3. The Story Begins

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it**

* * *

><p>"On this festive, enchanted day", Mary Beth explained to them. "Families bring food and offerings to the altars of their beloved."<p>

"It's like a hundred birthday parties!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Yes, it is!" Mary Beth replied with a smile. "And on this particular Day of the Dead, after centuries of being banished, Xibalba had had enough."

She then proceeded to tell them of how Xibalba was sick of being stuck ruling the cold and desolate Land of the Forgotten, and was jealous of La Muerte ruling over the "endless _fiesta_" that was the Land of the Remembered. He begged her to trade realms with him, but she reminded him that he was there because he cheated on a wager they had centuries ago. What said wager was, and how Xibalba had cheated, Mary Beth didn't say.

Xenon, however, couldn't help but laugh at Xibalba and La Muerte's arguing. "Those two bicker like an old married couple!" she joked, but as soon as she noticed the smirk on Mary Beth's face, realization dawned on her. "Wait... _are_ they?!"

Mary Beth nodded. "Yep. La Muerte and Xibalba had been married for thousands of years."

The kids' jaws all dropped.

"You're kidding!" Ivy said.

"But... from what you told us, they're complete opposites!" Joao exclaimed. "How the heck did they wind up together?!"

"Well, that is a story for another day", Mary Beth replied with a wink. "And you know what they say: opposites attract."

Miguel briefly glanced over at Xenon and blushed at this.

Mary Beth then continued to tell them on how Xibalba proposed that he and La Muerte have another wager. La Muerte, being one who could never resist a good game of chance, agreed. While trying to figure out what the bet would be, they had caught sight of three young friends, two boys and a girl, playing. The two boys, Manolo Sanchez and Joaquin Mondragon, were best friends, and it was clear as day that they both had a crush on the girl, Maria Posada. It was a classic love triangle in the making. And with that, Xibalba and La Muerte had their wager: Who would marry Maria, Manolo or Joaquin?

Xenon silently chuckled as she leaned over near Miguel and whispered, "Déjà vu, much?"

Miguel couldn't help but agree with her. It was pretty strange and funny coincidence, how this field trip had started with the two of them making a bet, and now they were hearing a story that had started because of a bet being made.

The story continued on with the two gods each choosing one of the boys as their "champion". First was Manolo, who had been called over by his father, Carlos, and great-grandmother, Anita, to their family altar, and Miguel's heart shattered when it was revealed that Manolo's mother had died protecting Manolo during the war when he was very young. Miguel knew this feeling all too well, and found that particular connection between him and Manolo, to be rather unsettling.

Manolo was chosen by La Muerte, who had taken on the guise of an old woman, and secretly tested him by asking for a piece of bread from his family altar. When Manolo kindly complied, La Muerte gave him her blessing, that his heart always remain pure and courageous.

Next was Joaquin, who was alone at his family altar in the town square. This altar was different from this others, as it was a grand mausoleum, with a large statue on top. The statue of a soldier, a captain to be exact, riding a large horse and wielding a jagged sword. This statue was of Joaquin's father, who was considered the town hero.

"Joaquin's father, Captain Mondragon, had passed away fighting the fearsome bandit known as Chakal", Mary Beth explained. A sad expression briefly flashed over Xenon's face, which did not go unnoticed by Jerome and a concerned Miguel.

Miguel gave Jerome a questioning look, and Jerome mouthed, "I'll tell you later", in reply. Miguel nodded in reply, then another thought crossed his mind as soon as he heard Joaquin's last name.

_"Mondragon?"_ he thought. _"I know I've heard that name before... but where?"_

Mary Beth then proceeded to tell how Xibalba, in the guise of a frail and ragged old man, had chosen Joaquin, and tested him the same way that La Muerte had Manolo. And unlike Manolo, Joaquin refused, so Xibalba, the sneaky devil that he was, decided to stack the odds of the wager in his favor ahead of time, by offering the boy a trade in the form a glowing green medal. He then told Joaquin that the medal was magic, and how it would grant near-invincibility to whoever wore it. Joaquin accepted the trade, in exchange for a piece of bread from his family altar. Xibalba then warned him to keep it hidden at all times, since there was a certain bandit king who was looking for it. It didn't take too long for Joaquin to realize that said bandit king was Chakal, the same bandit who had killed his father.

After choosing each of their champions, La Muerte and Xibalba laid the stakes of their wager. If Xibalba won, and Maria married Joaquin, he would finally rule over the Land of the Remembered. But if La Muerte won, and Maria married Manolo, Xibalba had to promise that he would never interfere with the lives of mortals again. He agreed to the stakes, and they shook hands, setting their wager, by the "Ancient Rules", as he had put it.

"And so, the greatest wager in history began", Mary Beth stated, placing the small wooden figure of young Maria between Manolo and Joaquin. "Manolo versus Joaquin for the hand of Maria."

Goth Kid could barely believe what he was hearing. "Wait, so these ancient Gods picked three little kids to like..."

"...Represent the whole world?!" Sanjay finished for him.

"Yeah. Pretty crazy, right?" Mary Beth replied with a smile.

"Uh, YEAH!" Ivy exclaimed.

"Keep goin', lady!" Goth Kid said eagerly.

* * *

><p>Mary Beth then went on to explain how while the three <em>amigos<em> were playing the next day, Maria, being the little troublemaker that she was, got the crazy idea to free the animals that were locked up in a large corral outside of the butcher shop after noticing one particularly adorable piglet amongst them. Both Xenon and Ivy couldn't help but smile and laugh a bit at this, as it reminded them fondly of when they had once snuck out of their homes and into the science lab at school, where they had proceeded to release all of the frogs the night before "Dissection Day". Sure, that little stunt had landed the two of them into detention for a month, but it was worth it!

However, Maria's actions caused chaos in the town square. A huge stampede of pigs barreled through as if it were the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona! And to make matters worse, a wild warthog charged in, and was heading straight for Maria's father, General Posada.

But at the last second, Joaquin pushed the general out of the way, and took the full force of the blow from the warthog, and was sent skidding back several feet. But miraculously, there wasn't a single bruise or scratch on him! That was because he was wearing the medal Xibalba had given him under his vest.

Now one of the nuns that worked at the San Angel orphanage was in the warthog's path. And like Joaquin, Manolo acted quickly. Grabbing a woman's red scarf, he proceeded to dodge and deflect the warthog with the skill of a bullfighter, which he actually came from a long line of. Manolo's father, Carlos, witnessed this, and was proud to see that his son had "the gift". Finally, Manolo managed to stun the warthog by getting it to run headfirst into a nearby wall. The whole town applauded Manolo and Joaquin's heroics.

But, the happy moment did not last long. General Posada was _furious_ with Maria's actions. He told her that her rebellious ways had to stop, and she was going to learn to be a proper lady whether she liked it or not. With this, he decided that she was going to be sent to a convent in Spain to be "straightened out", as he put it. Maria objected, but he would not hear it. And with that, Maria was sent home crying.

Then, the General came to another decision: to start training Joaquin immediately, so he could protect San Angel from bandits. Manolo was about to object to the General about sending Maria away, but was stopped by his father, who told him that "fathers do what is best for their children".

Miguel couldn't help but roll his eyes as he thought of his own father, who used that same quote as a way to excuse his over-protectiveness.

Manolo's father went on to explain how he felt that Manolo should start bullfighting training immediately. Manolo disagreed with this, as he wanted to be a musician, not a matador. His father would hear nothing of it, however, seeing as he wanted Manolo to continue the family tradition.

Miguel had heard just about enough. "That's not fair!" he exclaimed. "Why can't he just be more supportive of what Manolo wants to do with his life?"

Mary Beth gave him a sad smile. "Well... Manolo's father just believed that following the family tradition would be doing-"

"'Doing what's best for his son'. Yeah, I know." Miguel finished in reply, his eyes facing the floor, and the bitterness in his voice clear. The other kids looked on with shock. None of them, not even Jerome, had seen Miguel so upset before.

With a concerned look on her face, Mary Beth walked over to him, and gently placed a hand under his chin, tilting his head up so he could look at her. She kindly smiled at him as his honey-golden eyes met her sky blue ones, and although no words were exchanged between the two, the brief moment of eye contact said all that needed to be said. Miguel took a deep breath, and shakily let it out.

"Sorry about interrupting..." he finally told her, embarrassment clear on his face. " Please, continue."

Mary Beth smiled in reply and walked back over towards the book, and picked up where she left off. "And so the day came when Maria would leave to study abroad. The three _amigos_ would be no more."

She went on to explain how as Joaquin and Manolo said their goodbyes to Maria at the train station, Manolo gave her a farewell present. It was the piglet that she had seen in the corral outside the butcher shop. Manolo told her that the little pig, whom he had named Chuy, would look after her.

"A pet piglet? That is soooo CUTE!" Ivy squealed. The kids erupted into giggles at Ivy's outburst. Even Mary Beth couldn't help but let out a chuckle or two. She then continued on how Maria gave Manolo a gift in return: a guitar, to replace the one he had that had been trampled in the pig stampede she had caused. Engraved on the side of the guitar was a message: **_Always Play From the Heart_**. Underneath the message, Maria's name was engraved as well, next to a small engraving of a heart. Maria also had Manolo and Joaquin make her a promise: that Manolo would never stop playing his guitar, and that Joaquin would never stop fighting for what was right. And with that, Maria boarded the train. As the train took off, Manolo and Joaquin ran after the train for a short while, yelling their goodbyes to Maria, and telling her that they would wait for her.

"It would be years before they would see Maria again", Mary Beth said.

"How many years are we talking about, here?" Xenon asked, one of her eyebrows quirked up in curiosity.

"Ten." Mary Beth replied.

"TEN YEARS?!" the kids all exclaimed. Mary Beth nodded in confirmation.

"That is crazy!" Ivy said.

"I honestly have to agree with you there." Mary Beth replied.

"So, what happened to them during that time?" Miguel asked.

"Well, during all those years as the boys waited for Maria's return," Mary Beth explained. "Manolo unwillingly practiced bullfighting with his father every day, but not without sneaking away every now and again to play his guitar. Meanwhile, Joaquin trained to be a soldier with General Posada."

The kids all listened closely as she went on to further explain how Manolo and Joaquin grew up over the years, both of them seeing less and less of each other because of the training they were both going through. She then revealed how Joaquin eventually left San Angel to go protect other towns from bandits. Manolo, on the other hand, would sometimes sneak away from bullfighting training to sing with his friends, the Rodriguez brothers, the town's local mariachi band, which would most of the time leave his father less than pleased.

"After years of training," Mary Beth continued. "Manolo's father organized his first bullfight, which, as luck would have it, was on the day that Maria returned..."


End file.
